+GAYS WITH GUNS (Oct. 1, 2006)

By JoSelle Vanderhooft

At first glance, David Nelson may seem like an unusual candidate for president of the world's largest gay gun organization. A familiar face on Capitol Hill from his days as a lobbyist, Nelson is a fairly recent Second Amendment supporter; as he tells it, the events of 9/11 converted him.

"I began thinking especially with stories coming out about Mark Bingham and the other gay and lesbian people who were on board the various flights, what would I have done?" said Nelson "What would I have wanted to do? I immediately came to the conclusion that, given my temperament, I would be one of the first people to run to the cockpit and fight back. I would hope to be armed doing that, whether it was with a plastic airline knife or with a firearm."

A member of the Democratic Party for 26 years -- a party better known for gun control than gun loving -- Nelson said he started researching the Democrats' history with the Second Amendment, the controversial constitutional amendment that gives each American citizen the right to keep and bear firearms. He said he was surprised to learn that historically Democrats had largely supported this amendment. Even today, he says the anti-gun stance of a few Democratic leaders does not reflect the opinions of the party at large.

"There aren't very many Democrats who are pro-gun who find it necessary to speak out," he said. "Well, that's changing. Myself included, there are a lot of us in Utah especially, but nationally as well, that are finally saying 'Look; we're not saying that it's an absolute, we're not saying there isn't room for more responsibility to be had on the part of gun owners, but we can't anymore let the anti-gun crowd speak for us, for our party and for what it means to be for or against the Second Amendment in the Democratic Party."

Nelson's dedication to the right to bear arms extends to his leadership of Stonewall Shooting Sports, the Utah-based, queer gun group he founded four years ago. And, he's also serious about teaching anyone -- gay, straight, living in Utah or abroad -- how to use guns safely and responsibly for self defense and for recreation.

"This is really just a public service," he said. "I'm not trying to lead gay gun owners in Utah as much as trying to give them an outlet, a voice number one, and a chance to get together, and shoot and learn together."

Stonewall Shooting Sports actually began its life in November 2002 as the Pink Pistols of Utah, a chapter of a well-known, international gay gun organization which promotes the use of firearms for self-defense in the queer community. But according to Nelson, the fledgling group soon started going in a different direction.

"The Pink Pistols is just about firearms, but we include anything that shoots," he explained. "It's not one of our major issues, but we do include archery, we include paint ball, we include the recreational aspect as well as self-defense."

Another key difference is in Stonewall Shooting Sports' membership. While many queer gun groups are made up only of local members who get together to practice shooting, Nelson's organization is truly international. It also has a membership of approximately 430 making it the largest such group in the world, according to him.

Although many members live in-state, others are Utahns who joined the military and relocated. Some are even citizens of other countries who found out about the group through the Internet and international gay news outlets. According to Nelson, these members hail from countries as diverse as Israel, Iraq, India, France and Germany. These members participate by receiving the Stonewall Shooting Sports' monthly newsletter and by communicating with Nelson through email.

"In some of those countries obviously, [such as] Iraq, Israel and France, they have what I would call Draconian anti-gun laws," said Nelson. "Whether they own and-or shoot on their own is irrelevant. They are living the Second Amendment vicariously through us. They understand the importance of gay people at least being prepared to fight back. They support our mission and they understand the recreational aspect of it as well."

But, Stonewall Shooting Sports membership isn't just culturally and internationally diverse. It's more than 400 members come from all walks of life including military personnel, law officers, sports figures, even a few celebrities. Its ranks also include straight people who are trying to overcome anti-gay prejudice. For these members, Nelson sees a shared love of firearms as a way to foster understanding.

"They see the linkage between having to be denied access to a restaurant because it bans concealed firearms and being denied at a restaurant because you might be gay," he explained. "They see that, they get it viscerally. We do find that kind of support. They're taking their time and learning about our issues as well. [The organization] is a forum where we can share the commonality between the Second Amendment and all the other amendments gay people generally want. It's bridging a gap."

Nelson also thinks that his group may help bridge another gap -- that between Utah's queer citizens and the Republican lawmakers who have drafted anti-gay legislation.

"I was a lobbyist for decades at the Utah Legislature and nothing has opened the door to the Republican side of the aisle [like the issue of firearms]," said Nelson. "They know that [I'm a Democrat], and they know that I'm a lobbyist and that I'm openly gay. But, because of the Second Amendment issue that I embrace blindly there are a number of Republicans on Capitol Hill who suddenly want my endorsement, who suddenly want my work with them, who involve me on the ground level for Second Amendment legislation for the state."

"That's important, I think, not only for my group and myself but for gay and lesbian Utahns generally," he continued. "For the first time, these Republicans who still unfortunately vote against us are beginning to see cracks in their argument for doing so."

Eventually, Nelson thinks that gun legislation will serve as a wedge issue between Utah's queer citizens and members of the state Republican Party.

"I think overtime [this issue] will allow those who vote against us in the state Legislature to turn around and at least, if they can't vote for us, then at least take a walk. Don't vote at all. I think that tide is turning."

But, one thing that isn't turning fast enough for Nelson is empowering gay gun groups to stop hate crimes against queer people in their own communities. In the future, he said he would like to see a neighborhood-watch program for Utah's gay communities like Cease Fear, one such program that has been implemented in Seattle, Wash. Though not all members of Cease Fear are armed, members with concealed weapons permits are permitted to carry them while on watch.

"It's almost like their own anti-violence project," Nelson explained. "I wonder if that's something that could happen in Utah. I wonder if the time is right for our members and members of the anti-violence community to come together and understand we need to do something to teach people how to prevent crime and how to report it after the fact, but how to defend themselves while it's happening. That's the missing link in everything we've been doing with hate crimes and anti-violence so far."

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